Arc 4 Chapter 55 : Treaty

[Elena POV]

When I woke up, we were already retreating.

After the woman suddenly disappeared, everyone took advantage of the opportunity to withdraw the entire fleet back toward Tusculum City.

I also asked Uncle Raymond about the black-winged man. However, he said that the person who had helped us had disappeared somewhere after doing something that caused the enemy we had been fighting to vanish.

I had not told him that the person who helped me was one of the members of the Heretic Group.

It was still a mystery why he had helped us at that time, but I would not tell anyone about it until I understood what his purpose had been.

We arrived at the city's harbor that night.

The soldiers guarding the city were shocked to see how few ships had returned compared to the number that had departed for the attack.

Of the 800 ships that had sailed toward Florentia Island, fewer than 100 had returned to the city.

We had lost one hundred thousand soldiers in this assault.

All because of the appearance of that creature, which had slaughtered a massive portion of our fleet.

At present, we had only around 20,000 soldiers left.

We had already sent a report requesting reinforcements from the central command, but it seemed that additional troops would not arrive quickly, considering we had already carried out extensive recruitment beforehand.

All of the military officials subsequently discussed what had happened.

A moment when what should have been an easy victory had quickly turned into a tragedy that cost us hundreds of thousands of lives.

But the bad news did not stop there.

Several days later, the Alliance forces were reported to have landed 100 kilometers from Tusculum City.

We immediately abandoned the city and retreated toward Regium Fortress City before the Alliance forces could surround Tusculum City.

With this, the battlefield returned to almost exactly the same position it had been in around five months ago.

The Alliance forces also did not pursue us and instead surrounded Regium Fortress City.

Perhaps because the city was so close to our nation's border, they were afraid that reinforcements from our Empire would arrive and destroy their forces there.

Both sides maintained their positions until the war reached its sixth month.

However, several days later, something unexpected happened.

An envoy from the Alliance forces requested permission to enter the city for negotiations.

The envoy then met with Marshal Salazar and several other high-ranking military officials.

The meeting lasted for three hours.

After the envoy returned, Marshal Salazar announced that the Republic of Venetia had proposed peace negotiations.

The military leaders of both sides would meet again tomorrow to negotiate the conditions required for both parties to agree to a ceasefire and end the conflict.

The meeting would be held at the Temple Complex of the Goddess Diana, located 50 kilometers northwest of Regium Fortress City.

The temple would act as the mediator during the negotiations and serve as a witness if an agreement was reached.

Will the war finally come to an end this time?

I hope so.

If it continues, the casualties suffered by the Empire will only continue to increase without us achieving anything from this war.

---

[Siena POV]

After receiving word that the Empire had agreed to negotiate, we began preparing a proposal to present to them.

First, the reason we decided to offer peace negotiations despite having just achieved a major victory was because the Empire had not yet committed all of the forces it possessed.

The total number of troops they had deployed in this war was approximately 200,000, which amounted to only two percent of their current population.

That meant the Empire could still send another 100,000 troops to continue the war.

On the other hand, the Alliance no longer had many citizens available to recruit as additional soldiers.

At most, we could only add around 10,000 more troops by next year.

That was why we intended to use this momentum to gain an advantage during the negotiations.

At the meeting site, each side was only allowed to bring fifty guards, while only three representatives from each side would participate in the negotiations.

After traveling for several hours, we finally arrived at the Temple Complex of the Goddess Diana.

There, the Priests guided us toward the meeting hall.

The fifty guards were also directed by the Priests to their respective locations.

We then entered a building and were escorted into the negotiation chamber.

The three representatives from our side were Antonio di Margarette—the Minister of Defense, Zucini di Mateo—the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and myself.

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On the other side, I saw the three representatives from the Empire: Marshal Salazar de Cordova, Marquis Diego de La Hoya, and the Imperial Envoy who had declared war against us, Lancel de Artagnan.

"Please take your seats, Sir and Madam," said a Priest sitting between the tables that would be used for the negotiations. "Today, we will conduct peace negotiations between the Aragon Empire and the Republic of Venetia regarding the conflict that has been ongoing for half a year. I hope both sides can reach a ceasefire as soon as possible so that the casualties suffered by both nations do not increase further."

All of the representatives took their respective seats.

During our previous discussions with the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, our limit in this peace agreement had been clear: we would not surrender any territory that had been seized by the Empire.

Everything else could be negotiated in order to end this conflict.

"Very well. The party requesting these negotiations is the Republic of Venetia," the Priest said, looking toward the three of us. "Therefore, please present the conditions desired by the Republic of Venetia to end this conflict."

I nodded and began presenting our conditions for ending the war.

"First, we will withdraw the previous policy prohibiting semi-finished goods from the Empire from passing through the Vetucini Route. However, the tax will be increased from the previous one percent of the value of the commodities being transported to two percent. Second, the Empire must accept the commodity price regulations implemented by the nations of the western mainland. Third, the Empire is required to establish production facilities in the nations of the western mainland. This is intended to stabilize prices by ensuring the supply of certain commodities."

I continued presenting the points requested by the diplomats from the countris on the western mainland of the continent.

Although only the Republic of Greco had supported us militarily during this war, the other countries on the western mainland had also supported us in other ways.

Logistical supplies, weapons, and various other forms of assistance.

Furthermore, our republic did not want to fall out with those countries.

"And finally, the Empire must return the territories it has conquered and pay four million Gulden in war reparations!"

Hearing my peace proposal, the expressions of the Imperial delegates immediately darkened.

"Are you serious about conducting peace negotiations when you present conditions like these, Lady Siena?" Lancel de Artagnan asked me. "Not only are we being disadvantaged, but we also gain absolutely nothing after hundreds of our soldiers have fallen in this conflict! If these are the peace conditions you are offering, then we would be better off meeting again on the battlefield. Let's see whether you will still be this confident when presenting such terms!"

I knew the Empire would not accept the conditions I had just presented.

However, peace negotiations were like bargaining over goods.

It was only natural to start by offering a high price before gradually lowering it in order to secure as much of an advantage as possible.

"We will gladly return to slaughtering your soldiers if bloodshed is what you want!" Lord Antonio replied to Lancel's earlier statement.

"Hah! You've become arrogant because you won with the help of that mysterious creature! But that creature is gone now, and we could conquer your capital at any time!" Marshal Salazar shouted this time.

It seemed they did not want to appear weak during these negotiations.

Of course, if you showed weakness during negotiations, your opponent would exploit it. Once they understood your limits, they could make an offer designed to push you into accepting terms you could not afford to reject.

"This is the proposal we have prepared, Lord Lancel," I said, attempting to lower the tension in the negotiations. "You may present your own conditions for ending this conflict."

Hearing my words, Lord Lancel snorted before clearing his throat.

"Our conditions for ending this conflict are as follows: the Republic of Venetia must lift its restrictions on finished and semi-finished goods coming from the Empire, the Republic of Venetia must cease sabotaging our commercial activities, and the territories conquered by the Empire will permanently become part of the Aragon Empire!"

Lord Lancel smiled at us after stating the Empire's peace conditions.

"How dare you, boy! As long as we—the Venetian people—are still alive, we will never allow another nation to occupy territories that we built with the blood and sweat of our ancestors!" Lord Antonio roared angrily.

"Then why don't you take back the cities that we still occupy?" Marquis de La Hoya spoke this time. "Ah, you can't do that because you're afraid our reinforcements might suddenly arrive, aren't you!?"

The tension in the room rose once again.

Does every peace negotiation have to be like this?

How troublesome.

"Gentlemen! Please calm yourselves! We came here to discuss peace, not to create more hatred between one another!" the Priest mediating the negotiations reminded both sides.

In the end, the negotiations concluded after four hours of heated arguments.

We then left the chamber after signing the peace agreement between both sides.

After the meeting ended, we intended to return and report the results to the council in the capital.

However, as I was leaving the building, I saw a black-haired man standing there, staring at me with his one eye.

'So he survived?' I thought.

"Lady Siena, is something wrong?"

Realizing that I had stopped walking, Lord Antonio called out to me.

"It's nothing. You two can go ahead to the departure point," I ordered them.

Both of them nodded and left me behind.

After they were gone, I walked toward the man.

It seemed that he was here as one of the fifty guards brought by the Empire for the negotiations.

"Is there something you need from me, Lady Siena?" the man asked.

I did not answer him.

I simply stared at him sharply.

"Even though this war has ended, the matter between the two of us is still unfinished, Raul de Garcia," I said coldly.

However, despite my intimidation, the man merely smiled before reaching into his uniform and pulling something out.

"Ah, you're still upset because I took this from you, aren't you?"

He deliberately held the pendant directly in front of my face.

Was his only purpose in doing this to annoy me?

If so, just wait for the revenge that will come your way, Raul de Garcia.

However, just as I was thinking about how I would retaliate against his actions, he suddenly released the pendant.

I reflexively caught it and looked at him in confusion.

"Why are you giving it back to me?"

Hearing my question, his expression became confused.

"Huh? Isn't this yours? Don't you want me to return the artifact to you?"

I could not respond to his words.

I could only remain silent.

He then smiled again before simply walking away and leaving me there.

What exactly is this man thinking?

I stared at his back as he grew farther away.

Raul de Garcia...

That man was incredibly mysterious.

Not only because of his knowledge, but also because of his strength.

This was the first time I had ever encountered someone I could not read at all.

He truly was an Enigma to me.

---

[Raul POV]

Legacy of the Mieren Tribe...

The ability of this artifact was to absorb someone's magic or Nature Mana and allow the artifact's owner to use it.

This was an artifact comparable to Excalibur in terms of usefulness.

Why?

Because this artifact could grant its user the power sealed within it.

In other words, Siena could use the Nature Mana possessed by a Demigod—Celestia.

Of course, I gave the artifact to the only person capable of using it.

It required the bloodline of the Hero of the Mier Nation to activate the artifact.

On the other hand, this power would be useful to Siena if the Demon King's forces began attacking this continent.

With half of a Demigod's power in Siena's hands, the Demon King's forces would certainly have a difficult time invading the Republic of Venetia.

I then returned to the gathering point for the guards who had accompanied us here.

Now that the peace negotiations were over, it would not be long before all the soldiers could return to their homes.

During the negotiations, both sides agreed to end the war under the following conditions:

1. The Empire would return the territories it had conquered and pay two million Gulden in war reparations to the Republic of Venetia.

2. The Vetucini Route would be reopened to Imperial merchants. Both finished and semi-finished goods would be permitted to enter, but they would be subject to a tax twice as high as before.

3. The Empire would be required to establish at least one production facility in the nations located on the western mainland of the continent.

4. The Republic of Venetia would cancel its investments in the nations located on the western mainland of the continent.

5. The Empire would not monopolize the prices of commodities it exported to the nations of the western mainland.

This agreement would be known as the Neapolis Pact, named after the location where the negotiations were held.

With this, the war between the Aragon Empire and the Alliance of the Republic of Venetia officially came to an end.